understanding image postprocessing

[aster94]

hello,

sadly when i do some post processing (I am a newby here I did it only twice in my life) i do changes without any logical knowledge, i mean that i change the parameters (exposure, black, light, saturation, contrast, etc) until i get a good result

i would like to have a stronger knowledge about image manipulation and RAW editing, i checked in the tutorial section and i didn't find anything, so i would be grateful if someone could point me to a good resource

 

[cjdawson]

Hi @aster94 Welcome to SGL.

 

What software are you using to do your post processing?   Between the members of SGL, I'd like to think that we have knowledge of just about every piece of post processing software.   however, there are alot of applications and they all have the nuances.   To be able to point you in the best direction, it would be helpful to know what images you are taking, what equipment you are using and what software you are trying to process the images with.

[happy-kat]

If you like reading books then I suggest 'dart art or magic bullet' covers processing using a variety of commonly used software and much of what is Photoshop can be done in other software like GIMP or Paintshoppro.

If you want online then www.budgetastro.net is quite good and covers from stacking to processing.

[aster94]

23 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

If you like reading books then I suggest 'dart art or magic bullet' covers processing using a variety of commonly used software and much of what is Photoshop can be done in other software like GIMP or Paintshoppro.

If you want online then www.budgetastro.net is quite good and covers from stacking to processing.

I am ready to read if the book is wrote in a good way and without useless technicism

 

21 minutes ago, cjdawson said:

Hi @aster94 Welcome to SGL.

What software are you using to do your post processing?   Between the members of SGL, I'd like to think that we have knowledge of just about every piece of post processing software.   however, there are alot of applications and they all have the nuances.   To be able to point you in the best direction, it would be helpful to know what images you are taking, what equipment you are using and what software you are trying to process the images with.

I was trying to ask something "software agnostic" I would like to know more about the logic like "why i have to have the rgb histogram in the middle"
however i am shooting mainly milky way with a canon 600D and samyang 8mm as lens, even if i would love to shot galaxies but i don't have the equipment (yet!)

 

I am under linux so gimp for image manipulation and i am still trying to choose between darktable and rawtherapee for the raw editor, i also opened a topic for suggestion if you would like to say something

 

i am attaching a photo i did with gimp + rawtherapee as you can see i have plenty of room to improve

 

[happy-kat]

I'm don't know if it will work on Linux but search for Sequator.

StarTools is good as well and I think has a Linux version. Your main issue is what stacking software options are available on Linux.

If single frame processing then GIMP is good to go and there's a new version out now.

[aster94]

usually i do single frame pictures so for now using stacking softwares is not necessary

[davew]

Rather than ask you loads of questions, it could be a good idea to look here first. Gerry Lodriguss gives you a head start on why as well as how. Then you can look up other tutorials to suit your interests.

http://astropix.com/html/j_digit/toc_dig.html

He also sells books on the subject as does Steve Richards who has written a book mainly centred on Photoshop. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/dark-art-or-magic-bullet-steve-richards.html

Dave.

[ollypenrice]

Your question is a good one and shows that you have the right attitude to processing, which is to say that you want to think, you don't want to 'click.'

Steve's book is good. Anyone finding 'useless technicism' in it would be mistaken.

When I started there were not many books or tutorials around so I floundered at first, clicking here, there and everywhere. Then I realized that I needed to understand what I was doing so I started to think. Above all I started to think about the information and tools menus in Photoshop. You can work out what they mean for yourself if you think about them. They are not inherently difficult but there are lots of them!

Olly

[aster94]

On 25/09/2018 at 20:58, ollypenrice said:

Your question is a good one and shows that you have the right attitude to processing, which is to say that you want to think, you don't want to 'click.'

Steve's book is good. Anyone finding 'useless technicism' in it would be mistaken.

When I started there were not many books or tutorials around so I floundered at first, clicking here, there and everywhere. Then I realized that I needed to understand what I was doing so I started to think. Above all I started to think about the information and tools menus in Photoshop. You can work out what they mean for yourself if you think about them. They are not inherently difficult but there are lots of them!

Olly

thanks Olly, I try to have this attitude about everything in my life, i will take advantages of your suggestions, i will start with the website Dave suggested then i will move to the book (or books since Making Every Photon Count seems interesting too) 

 

[rigradio]

Lots of useful information in this free video -> http://www.astronomersdoitinthedark.com/dslr_llrgb_tutorial.php

 

HTH
Ketut